Book of the Month - September 2013

Lastall den Scáthán agus a bhFuair Eilís Ann Roimpi (Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There) by Lewis Carroll, translated into Irish by Nicholas Williams, is the book of the month for September on ClubLeabhar.com.

Ní léite go pléite!

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), first published in July 1865, is a tale of summer. Nicholas Williams’ Irish language translation was published in 2003 under the title Eachtraí Eilíse i dTír na nIontas. Many of the characters in the book belong to a pack of cards.

Lastall den Scáthán agus a bhFuair Eilís Ann Roimpi is a winter’s tale. This translation of Carroll’s second Alice book, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, published in December 1871, was also done by Nicholas Williams. Much of this second story is based on a game of chess.

Here is a taste of the book’s style:

“Don’t stand chattering to yourself like that,” Humpty Dumpty said, looking at her for the first time, “but tell me your name and your business.”
“My name is Alice, but—”
“It’s a stupid name enough!” Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently.
“What does it mean?” “Must a name mean something?” Alice asked doubtfully
“Of course it must,” Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh: “my name means the shape I am—and a good handsome shape it is, too.
With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost.”

In the video below, Órla Ní Chuilleanáin reads an extract from Lastall den Scáthán agus a bhFuair Eilís Ann Roimpi, which was book of the month on ClubLeabhar.com in September 2013.